[Vision2020] The Wise Men were going the wrong way!

[Art Deco aka W. Fox]

Nick, et al,

Perhaps, Nick left for us to infer the obvious:

Jesus was not born in Bethlehem, but in Nazareth.

I have not taken a poll, but previous reading indicates that for a large number 
of reasons almost all modern biblical scholars have reached this opinion.

Perhaps, Nick or someone else could recap or present some of these arguments.

Wayne

Art Deco  (Wayne Fox)
deco at moscow.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nick Gier
  To: vision2020 at moscow.com
  Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 9:15 AM
  Subject: [Vision2020] The Wise Men were going the wrong way!


  Greetings:

  If the Wise Men (magoi) were from Persia, which is where the Zoroastrian 
magicians did in fact hang out, and if they were following a start in the East, 
then they would not have witnessed the birth of Christ but more probably the 
birth of Krishna, whose home does lie in India, east of Persia.  Yes, Pat Kraut, 
they did have directions, but not to Bethlehem.

  But they would not have found Jesus in Bethlehem either, because a Roman 
census would have required all the people stay at home and be counted there. 
Jesus' home was Nazareth and that is where Joseph would have been assessed for 
the census.  Some apologists have suggested that Joseph owned property in 
Bethlehem, but seems most unlikely because Joseph was a poor man.  Besides he 
certainly would not have taken Mary on the trip: her OBGYN would have strenously 
objected!  Donkey rides are sure recipes for miscarriage.

  For more details about problems with the Christmas Story see 
www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/census.htm.

  Happy Holidays,

  Nick Gier



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